Foreigners shot dead in Burma

[Stephen Cleary]

Burma riots claim two photo journalists
Rangoon - Escalating protests in the streets of Rangoon claimed an unknown number of casualties Thursday including two foreigners, both of whom were believed to be foreign photo-journalists.

Both foreigners were shot near the Sule Pagoda in downtown Rangoon. The Kyodo news agency of Japan has identified one of the foreign victims as a Japanese photo-journalist.

A Caucasian man was also shot and died as he attempted to pass through a police barrier, a Burmese photo-journalist who witnessed the shooting told DPA.

The Caucasian's nationality was unknown.

Deustch Press Agentur

Six dead including Japanese national, opposition radio

Oslo - At least six people were feared dead Thursday in more confrontations in Burma between the military and demonstrators, the Oslo-based opposition radio station Democratic Voice of Burma said.

One of the dead in Rangoon was a Japanese national believed to have been a photo-journalist, the radio station's daily news editor Htet Aung Kyaw told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in a telephone interview.

AFP meanwhile reported the first victim of the crackdown was a video journalist, Kenji Nagai, 50, who was working for APF News, a video and photo agency based in Tokyo.

His firm said Nagai worked on a contract and was dispatched in the past to trouble spots. He had entered Burma a few days ago before the crackdown.

DPA said other victims were thought to include four monks who were beaten to death in connection with overnight raids on Yangon monasteries, he said.

There were fewer monks in the crowds Thursday, partly since many were arrested in the overnight raids and that security forces have tried to block off the monasteries, according to the witness accounts received in Oslo.

Two senior leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested including spokesman Myint Thin, he said.

Demonstrations were staged in several parts of Rangoon, soldiers have fired automatic rifles at the crowds but injury tallies were not available.

In Mandalay, the second largest city, demonstrations were also staged. Information was sketchy since many phone lines were cut, but the station's sources said soldiers used an electric power line to disperse demonstrators.

In Kachin State in northern Burma near the Chinese border two monasteries were raided Tuesday evening and some 400 monks arrested, the radio station's sources said.

The Nation

[FaranginPhetch]

Don't look like the military is going to give up at all, nothing can be done it looks like either.

I heard that China told them to knock it off, so maybe they will have the where with all to step in and do something.

Thailand can't do much in any telling them to face up and return to Democracy tho, people of the world would just laugh at them..

[David_Loves_Ubonwan]

Reports in Britain are saying that China cannot be seen to be doing nothing with the Olympics coming up next year.

Also that the countries with most influence to do anything would be China and India.

David

[paul_au]

A few million people coordinated on mass just storming the center of the Burmese government would solve the problem, the minor military like the foot soldiers would just back down and switch sides.

[marohnicelena]

Hope situations there getting better...
This gonna attract Uncle Sam....

[Khun Don]

Thanks for posting the news on Burma/Myanmar situation Steve, something I wanted to do myself-the reason I did not is that I am personally a little too close to this one, having known Daw Aung San Sui Kyi's late husband, Dr Michael Aris, consequently I did not feel I could objectively use a Thai Forum to post news and express opinion on what essentially has very little to do with Thailand-though I think it will soon will do when the refugees start ariving.
If anyone has any news on Daw Sui Kyi, please post it.

[lenss]

News reports have it that monks have been arrested. Possibly shot and killed. Sure isn't thailand is it!

[Khun Don]

Family of Burma's super boss are in Laos - reports

Burma's Gen Than Shwe family is reported to board a plane which landed in Vientiane, Laos on Thursday, reported Merinews online.

In what could be a harbinger of things to come in Burma, in bloody turmoil, a chartered flight from the country landed in Vientiane, Laos' capital.

Rumours have been rife, right through the day, in the strife torn country that the military junta supremo, Senior General Than Shwe's family was planning to leave Burma.

The family of eight was said to have boarded Burma's Air Bagan flight, which landed in Vientiane at 6 p.m. (local time) on Thursday, according to the Merinews.

The chartered flight carried eight passengers. Than Shwe's close associate Tayza, a business tycoon in Burma, owns the airline.

The passengers were said to be close relatives of Than Shwe including his wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing.

The junta is likely to pass off the departure of the family to merely a visit to Laos.

Political observers feel that Than Shwe and his family left the country in the wake of large-scale violence, which left nine people dead, according to the state run media. The actual deaths might be much higher, according to unconfirmed reports.

Letting loose terror on peaceful monks did not go down well with a section of the junta. Did the heat become too much for Than Shwe to handle?
Political developments in strife-torn Burma would certainly unfold many truths.

The Nation

[Khun Don]

Burma 'cuts all Internet links'

Oslo (dpa) - Burma disappeared from the entire Internet on Friday as more street confrontations were under way in Rangoon, the Oslo-based opposition radio station Democratic Voice of Burma said.

The state telecommunications company claimed there was a break in an underwater cable, according to reports.

Meanwhile, protesters were reported to have gathered near the Sule pagoda in Yangon, defying a ban issued by the army.

The move to cut Internet connections appeared to be aimed at preventing reports including photos and video footage from ongoing confrontations between protesters and the military from reaching the outside world, the station's news editor Moe Aye said in a telephone interview.

In Rangoon on Friday, the army blocked the main roads to the City Hall and were patrolling the downtown area by foot and in trucks.

Bangkok Post

[Khun Don]

Thai-Burma Tachilek border stays open

CHIANG RAI - It was business as usual at the Chiang Rai-Tachilek border crossing Friday and Thai authorities confirmed that the border checkpoint in this province remained open despite the Burma regime's violent crackdown on popular protests against military rule.

Col. Sompong Chaengchamras, chairman of the Thai-Burma Township Border Committee (TBC) said the Burma TBC assured that the Tachilek border crossing, at the Thai-Burma town well-known for its low-cost market. will remain open.

Both Burmese and Thai nationals needed to cross the border for trade while tourists travelling in the northern provinces of Thailand also intended to visit the bustling Tachilek market in Burma.

Burmese authorities stressed that tourists remained safe in Burma's Tachilek province, and that the violence being shown elsewhere had not affected the border area.

Meanwhile, some Burma nationals were seen crossing the border to buy necessities in Thailand's Mae Sai district as usual, while tourists travelled from Thailand into Tachilek.

Persons and vehicles must pass tight inspection at the Chiang Rai-Tachilek bordercrossing before entering Burma.

Security forces swept through Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), Burma's main city on Thursday, killing nine people including a Japanese journalist, and arresting hundreds more in a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. (TNA)

Bamgkok Post